The invention relates to regulating the speed of an electric motorcycle.
Electric motorcycles are generally driven by an electric motor powered by a battery. The battery requires periodic charging to replenish its energy reserves when its stored electric energy is depleted. The time between successive battery charging sessions is referred to as a charging cycle. The efficiency of an electric motorcycle is generally determined by the distance it travels in one charging cycle.
The energy efficiency of an electric motorcycle depends on the weight, speed, and acceleration of the motorcycle. High-speed travel generally consumes more energy per unit of distance traveled because of increased frictional losses. Rapid acceleration and deceleration also reduce the energy efficiency. Efforts to improve efficiency include making lighter electric motorcycles, designing light high-capacity batteries, and reducing the vehicle drag. However, many of these approaches for improving efficiency significantly increase the cost of the motorcycle.
Many electric motorcycles include a rotatable mechanism (e.g., lever) mounted on the end of the handlebar of the motorcycle that the rider rotates to change the motorcycle's speed. The more the mechanism is rotated the greater the speed. The motorcycle's response to rotation of the mechanism varies depending on a number of factors, including the slope of the motorcycle's path and the weight of the rider.